San Dimas sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, and that foothill location creates conditions that separate it from other San Gabriel Valley cities. Properties in the northern part of the city, near San Dimas Canyon, are in or near California Fire Hazard Severity Zones, which affects material choices for any exterior structure. The canyon also channels wind and debris during storms, so drainage design around any new room addition needs to account for that. Homes farther south toward the 57 freeway sit on flatter terrain with fewer drainage concerns, but the same expansive clay soils run throughout the city, shifting with each wet and dry cycle.

The bulk of San Dimas housing was built between 1950 and 1985, which means most homes are now 40 to 75 years old. At that age, rooflines, electrical panels, and slab foundations often need evaluation before a sunroom addition can be properly tied in. Ranch-style homes with stucco exteriors and slab-on-grade foundations are the most common building type here, and most sunroom additions on these homes are straightforward once the slab condition is confirmed. Hillside homes near the canyon require more thorough site assessment and sometimes engineered retaining details before construction can begin.

San Dimas is a city of about 34,000 people in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, sitting where the valley floor meets the lower slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains. The city is known throughout the region for Raging Waters, one of the largest water parks in California, which sits along Via Verde on the south side of town. San Dimas has a long agricultural history - walnut groves once covered much of the area, and the city still celebrates its roots with the annual San Dimas Walnut Festival, one of the oldest community events in the valley. You can learn more about the city at the San Dimas Wikipedia entry.

Most of the residential building stock consists of single-family ranch homes built between the 1950s and 1980s, concentrated in the central and southern parts of the city. Roughly two-thirds of San Dimas homes are owner-occupied, which is higher than many neighboring cities, and median home values run well above the national average. Northern neighborhoods near San Dimas Canyon Road have larger lots, more mature landscaping, and more topographic variation than the flatland streets closer to the 57 freeway. To the west lies La Verne, CA, where our crew also serves a similar mix of ranch-style and foothill properties across the San Gabriel Valley.